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Tag: Germany

As the year is slowly but surely coming to a close, we’re starting to see some developments in Saxony, pertaining to the bridges; especially along the Zwickau Mulde as it had been a work zone for much of the year but . Some are good, but others just want to make a person scratch his head. In either case, this Newsflyer focuses on the bridges in the region, most of them are updates.

New Arches for the Hirschgrund

GLAUCHAU- Four months after razing all but two of the outer arches of the Hirschgrund Bridge at the Castle Complex in Glauchau, the bridge is being rebuilt, bit-by-bit. According to observations made by the Chronicles on Buß und Bettag (The Day of Prayer and Reflection), four new arches have been installed, thus reestablishing connection between the south entrance to the castle and the park across from the ravine. The arches have a red lining as they are made of brick, thus making it one of the first signs that the bridge will have a different face come time of its reopening in the Fall 2019. The next part is building up the spandrel to make the crossing more even. Chances are though that due to wintry conditions to come, the reconstruction will commence in the spring.

Almost Done with the Röhrensteg

ZWICKAU- Work is almost finished with the Röhrensteg, a 500-year old covered bridge spanning the Zwickau Mulde. Work started dismantling and repairing bridge parts in May, yet the project was delayed substantially because of the delay in the shipment of a special wood that was used to build the covered bridge. Furthermore, many parts needed to be replaced because they no longer could be used due to age, wear and tear and as a result, cracks and other creases that developed. The pedestrian bridge is scheduled to be reopened by year’s end. However, based on observations, the structure will look totally different than it had been in the years before the much-needed makeover. How different? An article will be produced and one can see the difference for himself.

Going Up in Schlunzig

SCHLUNZIG/GLAUCHAU/ZWICKAU- When travelling north on Highway B-93 from Zwickau to Meerane, one can see from the distance at the Mosel exit a tower that is growing by the day. That is because the Schlunzig Cable-Stayed Bridge and its tower is being put together bit-by-bit. Already, two 21-ton pylons, measured at 8 meters tall and 3.1 meters wide were hoisted onto the concrete tower by crane and fastened together, thus creating an H-shaped pattern. From there, 24 cables measuring between 28 and 55 meters will be hung and stiffened from the 32-meter high pylon, which will support the roadway. The deck will be built in segments beginning next year. The 7 million Euro bridge over the Zwickau Mulde will replace the concrete beam bridge dating back to 1964 that is still open, allowing drivers to see the new bridge. That bridge, which suffered irreparable damage due to the 2013 floods, will be removed once the bridge opens in the Summer 2019.

Cainsdorf Bridge as a Pedestrian Bridge?

CAINSDORF/ ZWICKAU- Another hot debate on the horizon is with the Cainsdorf Bridge. Located six kilometers upstream, the 1929 deck plate girder bridge has reached the end of its useful life and construction is planned to build a new bridge. The question is whether it should be 300 meters to the north of the bridge, reported earlier in the year or whether it should be at the same spot as the present structure, whose weight limit of 3 tons has reduced access to just cars. Both options have been met with opposition because of the disadvantages. Opponents for the first option claim that having two bridges would mean a waste of money. Even talks of restoring the bridge for pedestrian and bike use instead of for cars are being met with hefty criticism for that key reason. By the same token tearing down the bridge and rebuilding on the spot will cut off key access between Reinsdorf (and other areas to the east) and the southern suburbs of Zwickau (especially the Planitz area), especially as there is a high school, churches and housing nearby. This would be an inconvenience to the residents as well. The debate between convenience/logistics versus money will continue to be a hot topic as the city council will be discussing this before reaching a decision come the end of this year. By that time, one will take advantage at the expense of the other.

Stone Arch Bridge to be rehabilitated in 2020?

LUNZENAU- The forms have been filled and sent. Talks have concluded. Yet no action has been taken. Why? This is the issue facing the residents of Lunzenau and the future of its bridge. The Stone Arch Bridge spans the Zwickau Mulde and was built in 1863 replacing a covered bridge that dated back to the 13th Century. It was rebuilt after the floods in 1954 and a temporary bridge was built over the original decking in 2011. The bridge is now going to be rebuilt, bringing its original charm back to the community, but work will not start before 2020. Reason: A temporary bridge is needed to allow for traffic to pass while the arch bridge is being restored. The cost for that alone is EUR 770,000 of the 2 million that is needed for rebuilding it. That needs an extra approval. The temp bridge is needed for the next crossing is eight kilometers away in Göhren for cars. For pedestrians, the Küblers Bridge is two kilometers away from the town center. It is concluded that the arch bridge needs to be restored. Once the approval is received, work can start next Fall.

Bridgehunter Online Shop now open

ZWICKAU/ GLAUCHAU/ AUE- The Bridgehunter’s Chronicles now has an online shop, opened just in time for the holiday season. For the first time since 2015, the Chronicles is selling products pertaining to historic bridges in the US, Europe and elsewhere. While there are no calendars for sale for 2019 (it is being planned for 2020, though), the shop’s main features include the bridges along the Zwickau Mulde River and its cities, Glauchau and Zwickau, which can be found in the apparel. The images produced by the author are based on a questionnaire that was conducted in August 2018, where voters were to decide which of the 40 bridges along the river should be on the T-shirt. In the end, it was decided that three different designs were to be made. A fourth one on the bridges in the Lunzenau region is being considered should the sale be a success. There are also other items with photos and designs on there where a person can purchase for use, including Christmas cards. Click onto the link below, feel free to shop around, and if you find the right gift for that particular person, feel free to order online. More products will come later, so stop by every often.

Check out the photos and other updates on the Chronicles Facebook page, as there will be many Posts to come. In the meantime, happy bridgehunting and don’t forget: The Deadline for submissions of Bridge photos and the like for the 2018 Ammann Awards is 5th December. Details here.

Winter time is around the corner and it was an obligation to bid farewell to a Fall where we had mild days but lots of true colors, as we can see here in this pic from The Wave, located south of Glauchau in western Saxony. There’s really nothing much to say there except WOW! ❤ 😀

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The 106th mystery bridge takes us back to western Saxony and in particular, the southern end of Zwickau, where at the junction of Fuchsgraben and Saarstrasse near the Glück-Auf Shopping Center, we have three bridges as part of the mix. Two of them are deck plate girder bridges (although one of them I was able to photograph during a bike tour back in September) that appear to have been dated back to the early 1920s, and it is unknown who built these structures. Each of them span Saarstrasse and have a length of 40 meters. One of the spans serves regional train service to Aue.

Even more interesting is a short, but rather beautiful concrete bridge located on the west end of the viaduct. It spans a creek that empties into the Zwickau Mulde at the Pöhlau Railroad Bridge and appears to be a box culvert. Yet the railings appear to have a Art Greco design, which is rather antique given its age. Bridges with Art Greco designs were common beginning in 1910 and while some served as railings for box culverts due to its short length, others functioned as a T-beam bridge, especially those with a length of more than 25 meters and whose railings are thick enough to support the roadway. Given its age, combined with its wear and tear, it is likely that the 10-meter long box culvert at Fuchsgraben is at least 85-90 years old. That structure has just been reincorporated into the city’s bike trail network, connecting Zwickau’s City Center and the suburbs of Planitz: Neu, Ober and Nieder. The city has plans to expand the network and make biking easier and safer for residents who live in these areas, connecting them with the existing main route along the Zwickau Mulde River.

If you know more about these three bridges, feel free to comment on them or provide some information via e-mail. The tour guide on Zwickau’s bridges will be updated to include this and a couple additional bridges found and documented, so any help would be much appreciated.

As we are in the middle of the autumn season, we still have some cool photos to show, whether they are landscape photos, parks and green areas in the city, historic buildings and even bridges. This fantastic photo belongs to the last category. This was taken at the Steinpleis Viaduct near Werdau in western Saxony. This is one of four brick arch viaducts located in and around Werdau there were built between 1840 and 1850 as the railroad lines were built between Leipzig and Zwickau via Werdau as well as the Dresden-Zwickau-Hof-Nuremberg Magistrate Route. It took 30 years to complete both routes. The red brick viaduct is located at the Werdau Triangle where both rail lines meet. The lines used to have long-distance trains running past- between Leipzig and Munich and between Dresden and Nuremberg. Today only regional trains, like this one- the MRB (Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn) based in Chemnitz use the two lines, as well as the S-bahn (Light Rail) which goes to Leipzig-Halle Airport. Taken shortly before sunset, the Regio-Express train is crossing the viaduct enroute to Hof, its final stop, but not before having passed through the Triangle. Just as beautiful site taken from the bridge as it is seeing it from the train.

Every bridge is full of surprises, both big and small, regardless of when and where you find them. Some are haunted and some are waiting to be discovered. However, just be aware that when you find a bridge that is dark and haunted, and you want to investigate, you may find something unexpected, as I saw in this pic, while visiting a covered bridge in Hennersdorf, a small village in Saxony that is tucked away in the Valley of the River Zschopau, only a few minutes from Flöha.

and ……

Are you ready to take the challenge? As a photographer and pontist, I would. 😉 Happy Pic and Treating! 🙂

ZSCHOPAU (SAXONY), GERMANY- Four kilometers to the south of Zschopau in the village of Wilischthal, deep in the valley of the river that bears the same name as the city of 9,600 is a piece of artwork that most recently got a much-needed facelift. The Wilischthal Viaduct was built in 1901 and features a series of different arch types. The main span is an open-spandrel arch bridge which stretches 31 meters across the River Zschopau. The three approach spans, each of which are over 10 meters, spans a rail line connecting Annaberg-Buchholz with Riesa and Chemnitz on the east side next to the main highway, S228, a state highway. The entire bridge was built using natural stone, taking well over a year to build. It was open in 1901. For 10 years, the bridge had been open for only one lane of traffic. Now the bridge has been reopened to traffic and two cars can meet from each direction. Furthermore, pedestrians can cross it without any hindrance. According to news story from the Chemnitz Free Press, bridge was rehabilitated at the cost of 1.3 million Euros ($2.1 million) and included replacing the decking with a wider one (the original deck width was 6 meters; the new one is now three meters wider) and installing beautiful blue railings. Furthermore, the arches were strengthened to accomodate heavier loads. All of the renovation work lasted two years and it included partial and full closures, thus making access to nearby villages Gelenau and Scharfenstein difficult.

Nevertheless, the renovation was worth it during my visit at the bridge. There will be more photos of the bridge to come as the tour guide on the bridges in Zschopau is being made, but the whole bridge itself looks just like new.

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This week’s Pic of the Week takes us to the Valley of the River Zschopau. Located in the central part of the German state of Saxony, the river has its starting point in the Fichtel Mountains north of Oberwiesenthal at the German-Czech border. Then the river snakes its way through the Ore Mountains for 130 Kilometers, creating valleys that are up to a kilometer deep and are very steep for driving.

And with these steep hills come numerous historic bridges that are either very tall or are hidden from view except when discovered with the lens of the camera and with a beautiful scenic background, as you can see here in this pic.

This was taken in the small village of Wilisch, 4 kilometers south of Zschopau. This bridge is one of four structures that are all within walking distance- all of them are well over a century old. This Town Lattice iron truss viaduct is located just west of the train Station and can be seen from the arch bridge that is right next to it. Dating back to the 1870s, the bridge used to serve a railroad running alongside the River Wilisch toward Gelenau. That river empties into the Zschopau, just 150 meters from this bridge.

Even though it has been abandoned for many decades, the bridge presents a gorgeous view with the camera, like you can see here, taken right in the middle of autumn with the leaves changing.